Reward offered for information in arson at Klingensmith Farm

WARREN -- A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist or arsonists who caused a June 24 blaze that destroyed two barns and killed more than 50 cows at the Klingensmith Farm. The arson determination was made after accidental and electrical causes were ruled out, said Steve Moldenhauer, Trumbull County fire investigator. The blaze erupted at 2:24 a.m. at the farm owned by David Klingensmith at 6300 Nelson-Mosier Road in Warren Township. "I'm still hunting down a suspect," Moldenhauer said, adding that there are two "people of interest" in the case. No charges have been filed. The fire had multiple starting points, he said, but he declined to comment on whether an accelerant was used. The motive for the fire is unknown, he added. Although there was a large electrical panel in the area where the blaze originated, Moldenhauer said a forensics report ruled out electrical causes. The delay in making the arson ruling was caused in part by the wait for electrical test results to come back from an outside firm, Moldenhauer said. "Unfortunately, laboratories and testing take time, and you want to make sure that you've looked at every other possible cause" before making a ruling, he said. "Unless it's obviously an arson and it jumps right out at you, you don't want to rush to an arson determination until you've ruled everything else out."